IT'S A GAS: Kim Jong-un appears to be trying to develop chemical weapons

The Hermit Kingdom has applied to produce sodium cyanide – which can be used to develop the chemical weapon Tabun.

Dictator Kim Jong-un’s evil regime is banned from importing the dangerous substance over fears he could use it for weapons of mass destruction.

Inside North Korea: The pictures Kim Jong-un doesn't want you to see

Since 2008, photographer Eric Lafforgue ventured to North Korea six times. Thanks to digital memory cards, he was able to save photos that was forbidden to take inside the segregated state

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Eric Lafforgue/Exclusivepix Medi

Taking pictures in the DMZ is easy, but if you come too close to the soldiers, they stop you

But staggeringly, the UN is helping North Korea with its application to produce sodium cyanide.

The US has slammed the body for working with the trigger-happy state.

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ROCKET: Kim Jong-un inspects an intermediate-range ballistic missile

Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, said: “The thought of placing cyanide in the hands of the North Koreans, considering their record on human rights, political prisoners, and assassinations is not only dangerous but defies common sense.”

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WARNING: Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN

North Korea submitted the patent application to a UN agency, the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

UN sanctions monitors said they are investigating the case for any violations.

Candid insight into life inside secretive North Korea

Candid insight into life inside secretive North Korea

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Eric Lafforgue/Exclusivepix Medi

NORTH KOREA POLAROIDS

Under UN sanctions, states are banned from supplying North Korea with sodium cyanide and Pyongyang has to abandon all chemical and biological weapons and programs.

WIPO said in a statement that it has strict procedures to ensure full compliance with UN sanctions regimes.

FORBIDDEN photos show the true North Korean army

While tourists are free to visit the secretive state as part of strictly controlled tour groups, they are told to never take photos of soldiers by their handlers. These images taken by photographer Eric Lafforgue show the truth behind North Korean military service: a life of hard physical labour with the perks of visits to the nation's capital

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ERIC LAFFORGUE/EXCLUSIVEPIX MEDI

Many soldiers are used as a labor force to compensate for the ineffective North Korean economy, so the army is not only about military organization.

Ms Haley said: “We urge all UN agencies to be transparent and apply the utmost scrutiny when dealing with these types of requests from North Korea and other rogue nations.”

North Korea's deputy UN envoy said the US needed to roll back its "hostile policy" toward the country before there could be talks as Washington raised concern that Pyongyang could be producing chemical weapons.